Chapter 2

Packet Question

1. What creates “devil’s garden” in the rainforest? Describe the study and explain the
results.
a.
2. What are the four most common essential elements?
a.
3. How can an element be essential, but also a trace element? Give an example.
a.
4. Compare and contrast the atomic number and the mass number.
a.
5. Describe the use of radioactive tracers as a research method. Give an example where this
method can be used.
a.
6. Compare and contrast energy and potential energy.
a.
7. Describe how electrons changing shells will impact energy in that atom.
a.
8. Describe the following types of bonds and give examples for each.
a. Covalent
i.
b. Ionic
i.
c. Hydrogen
i.
d. Van der Waals interactions
i.
9. Compare and contrast nonpolar and polar covalent bonds. Give an example for each.
10. Why is molecular shape important in biology? Give a specific example.
a.
11. What is the formula for photosynthesis? In this formula, label the following: reactants,
products, reaction, and coefficients.
a.
Concept Check

● 2.1
1. Explain how table salt has emergent properties.\
a.
2. Is a trace element an essential element? Explain.
a.
3. Iron (Fe) is a trace element required for the proper functioning of hemoglobin, the
molecule that carries oxygen in red blood cells. What might be the effects of an
iron deficiency?
a.
● 2.2
1. A lithium atom has 3 protons and 4 neutrons. What is its atomic mass in daltons?
a.
2. A nitrogen atom has 7 protons, and the most common isotope of nitrogen has 7
neutrons. A radioactive isotope of nitrogen has 8 neutrons. Write the atomic
number and mass number of this radioactive nitrogen as a chemical symbol with a
subscript and superscript.
a.
3. How many electrons does fluorine have? How many electron shells? Name the
orbitals that are occupied. How many electrons are needed to fill the valence
shell?
a.
4. In Figure 2.9, if two or more elements are in the same row, what do they have in
common? If two or more elements are in the same column, what do they have in
common?
a.
● 2.3
1. Why does the following structure fail to make sense chemically?
HーC＝CーH
a.
2. Explain what holds together the atoms in a crystal of magnesium chloride
(MgCl​2​).
a.
3. If you were a pharmaceutical researcher, why would you want to learn the
three-dimensional shapes of naturally occurring signaling molecules?
a.
 ● 2.4
1. Refer to the reaction between hydrogen and oxygen that forms water, shown with
ball-and-stick models on page 42. Draw the Lewis dot structures representing this
reaction.
a.
2. Which types of chemical reactions occur faster at equilibrium, the formation of
products from reactants, or reactants from products?
a.
3. Write an equation that uses the products of photosynthesis as reactants and uses
the reactants as products. Add energy as another product. This new equation
describes a process that occurs in your cells. Describe this equation in words.
How does this equation relate to breathing?
a.

While You Read

● Concept 2.1 Matter consists of chemical elements in pure form and in combinations
called compounds
1. Define and give an example of the following terms:
a. Matter
i.
b. Element
i.
c. Compound
i.
2. What four elements make up 96% of all living matter?
3. What is the difference between an essential element and a trace element?
a. essential element
b. trace element
● Concept 2.2 An element’s properties depend on the structure of its atoms
4. Sketch a model of an atom of helium, showing the electrons, protons, neutrons,
and atomic nucleus.
5. What is the atomic number of helium? _________ Its atomic mass? ________
6. Here are some more terms that you should firmly grasp. Define each term.
a. neutron
b. proton
c. electron
d. atomic number
 e. atomic mass
f. isotope
g. electron shells
h. energy
7. Consider this entry in the periodic table for carbon.
What is the atomic mass? ______ atomic number? _______
How many electrons does carbon have? _______ neutrons? _______

8. Which is the only subatomic particle that is directly involved in the chemical
reactions between atoms?
9. What is potential energy?
10. Explain which has more potential energy in each pair:
a. boy at the top of a slide/boy at the bottom
b. electron in the first energy shell/electron in the third energy shell
c. water/glucose
11. What determines the chemical behavior of an atom?
12. Here is an electron distribution diagram for sodium:

a. How many valence electrons does it have? ______ Circle the valence
electron(s).
b. How many protons does it have? ______
● Concept 2.3 The formation and function of molecules depend on chemical
13. Define molecule.
14. Now, refer back to your definition of a compound and fill in the following chart:
 Molecule? (y/n) Compound? (y/n) Molecular Structural
Formula Formula
Water
Carbon dioxide
Methane
Oxygen Gas O​2
15. What type of bond is seen in O2? Explain what this means.
16. What is meant by electronegativity?
17. Explain the difference between a nonpolar covalent bond and a polar covalent
bond.
18. Make an electron distribution diagram of water. Which element is most
electronegative? Why is water considered a polar molecule? Label the regions
that are more positive or more negative. (This is a very important concept. Spend
some time with this one!)
19. Another bond type is the ionic bond. Explain what is happening in the figure
below (2.14):

a.
20. What two elements are involved above?
21. Define anion and cation. In the preceding example, which is the anion?
22. What is a hydrogen bond? Indicate where the hydrogen bond occurs in this figure.
23. Explain van der Waals interactions. Though they represent very weak attractions,
when these interactions are numerous they can stick a gecko to the ceiling!
24. Here is a list of the types of bonds and interactions discussed in this section. Place
them in order from the strongest to the weakest: hydrogen bonds, van der Waals
interactions, covalent bonds, ionic bonds.
25. Use morphine and endorphins as examples to explain why molecular shape is
crucial in biology.
● Concept 2.4 Chemical reactions make and break chemical bonds
26. Write the chemical shorthand equation for photosynthesis. Label the reactants and
the products.
 27. For the equation you just wrote, how many molecules of carbon dioxide are there?
_____
How many molecules of glucose? _________
How many elements in glucose? _________
28. What is meant by dynamic equilibrium? Does this imply equal concentrations of
each reactant and product?
● Learning by Experience
1. Draw and label a picture of a carbon-12 and a carbon -14 atom. Your diagram
should show energy levels, electrons, the nucleus, protons and neutrons. List the
atomic number and atomic mass of each atom.
2. Use atomic diagrams to illustrate what happens when an ionic bond is formed and
when a single covalent bond is formed.
3. Write the structural formulas and molecular formulas for hydrogen gas, oxygen
gas, and nitrogen gas. What type of bond forms each of these molecules? Which
is the strongest of these bonds?
4. Draw a drop of water containing five (5) water molecules. Show the hydrogen and
oxygen atoms within each water molecule and use a (+) or (-) to indicate the
electronegativity of each atom. Use solid lines to indicate covalent bonds and
dotted lines to indicate hydrogen bonds.
● Exercising Your Knowledge
1. Why is the chemical behavior of an atom determined more by the electrons than
by the protons or neutrons?
2. For any particular element, which of the three subatomic particles never varies in
number? Explain.
3. Carbon-14 has a half-life of about 5,600 years. Archaeologists analyze a piece of
wood found at an ancient village site and determine that of the initial 100 grams
of C-14 in the wood only 3.125 grams are left. How old is the wood?
4. In a periodic table of elements, the elements in any given vertical column tend to
behave chemically the same way. Why?
5. What three major tendencies guide the interactions of all atoms?
6. Explain the differences in the types of substances or compounds formed by ionic
bonds versus covalent bonds.
7. Why do crystals such as table salt (NaCl) dissolve in water?
8. Why do you think that so many of the molecules that make up living organisms
(e.g. proteins, carbohydrates, lipids) are large molecules with covalent bonds
rather than ionic bonds?
 9. If you dip a corner of a paper towel into a drop of water why does the water
spread along the paper towel?
10. Why does sweating cool us off?

After You Read

● Section 1
1. Define and give an example of the following terms: matter, element, and
compound.
2. What four elements make up 96% of all living matter?
3. What is the difference between an essential element and a trace element?
● Section 2
4. Sketch a model of an atom of helium, showing the electrons, protons, neutrons,
and atomic nucleus.
5. What is the atomic number of helium? Its atomic mass?
6. Here are some more terms that you should firmly grasp. Define each term.
a. Neutron
b. Proton
c. Electron
d. Atomic Mass
e. Atomic Number
f. Isotope
g. Electron Shells
h. Energy
7. Consider the entry in the periodic table for carbon.
a. What is the atomic mass?
b. What is the atomic number?
c. How many electrons does carbon have?
d. How many neutrons?
8. What are isotopes? Use carbon as an example.
9. Explain radioactive isotopes and one medical application that uses them.
10. Which is the only subatomic particle that is directly involved in the chemical
reactions between atoms?
11. What is potential energy?
12. Explain which has more potential energy in each pair:
a. boy at the top of a slide/boy at the bottom
b. electron in the first energy shell/electron in the third energy shell
c. water/glucose
 13. What determines the chemical behavior of an atom?
14. Sketch an electron distribution diagram for sodium:
a. How many valence electrons does it have? Circle the valence electron(s).
b. How many protons does it have?
● Section 3
15. Define molecule.
16. Now, refer back to your definition of a compound and fill in the following chart:

Molecule? Compound? Molecular Structural

(y/n) (y/n) Formula Formula

Water

Carbon
Dioxide

Methane

Oxygen

17. What type of bond is seen in O2? Explain what this means.
18. What is meant by electronegativity?
19. Explain the difference between a nonpolar covalent bond and a polar covalent
bond.
20. Make an electron distribution diagram of water. Which element is most
electronegative? Why is water considered a polar molecule? Label the regions
that are more positive or more negative. (This is a very important concept. Spend
some time with this one!)
21. Another bond type is the ionic bond. Explain what is happening to the electron.
22. Define anion and cation. In the preceding example, which is the anion?
23. What is a hydrogen bond?
24. Explain van der Waals interactions. Though they represent very weak attractions,
when these interactions are numerous they can stick a gecko to the ceiling!
25. Here is a list of the types of bonds and interactions discussed in this section. Place
them in order from the strongest to the weakest: hydrogen bonds, covalent bonds,
ionic bonds, van der Waals interactions.
26. Use morphine and endorphins as examples to explain why molecular shape is
crucial in biology.
 ● Section 4
27. Write the chemical shorthand equation for photosynthesis. Label the reactants and
the products.
28. For the equation you just wrote,
a. How many molecules of carbon dioxide are there?
b. How many molecules of glucose?
c. How many elements in glucose?
29. What is meant by dynamic equilibrium? Does this imply equal concentrations of
each reactant and product?
● Challenge
1. Describe atomic structure using the terms proton, neutron, electron, mass number
and orbital. Indicate what is meant by electrons in an "excited state" and those in
a "ground state."
2. Explain what an isotope is and give two important physical properties of isotopes
that make them useful in biological research. Define half-life.
3. Using diagrams, explain what an ion is, and how it forms. Describe an ionic
bond.
4. Explain the important role of weak chemical bonds in the organization of living
things.
5. Indicate why oxygen and carbon dioxide are basic to life, and name the principle
source of each of these molecules.
6. How do mixtures, compounds, and molecules differ from each other?
7. What is the difference between a polar and nonpolar covalent bond?
8. Explain why isotopes are important in biochemical research?
● Student Made Study Questions

Literal Inferential Applied

If Van der Waals interactions,

hydrogen bonds, ionic bonds in
water, and other weak bonds
38-
What is potential energy? 35 Can a molecule be a salt? Why? occur in large molecules such as
39
proteins, give example how
human body can also have these
bonds.
Who was Van de Waal, and 40- How would the structure of the 36- Based on your knowledge about
what is he known for 41 molecule influence the 37 water molecules, what are the
 developing?
What are the names of the two
40
types of ions and define both.
Name the parts of atoms and
describe their characteristics
What are the electrons in the
outermost shell of an atom
called?
How is the symbol of an
Element formed?
distribution of electric charges? reactants and products of its
reaction?
When sulfur and beryllium ions Given the qualities of chemical
react, what is the resulting 40 bonding, what is the formula for
compound? magnesium nitride?
3 Describe how covalent bonds
Predict what would happen to
3- and ionic bonds differ, both in
39 the global climate if ice was
3 function and in effect on the
more dense than water?
5 atoms
3 Using prior knowledge of
What is the hydroxide ion
6 concentration of a solution with 53 bonds, what would happen if a
covalent bond replaced a ionic
a pH of 4?
bond position?
3 Why are specific trace elements
1 only needed for some species? 32
while other species can live
without them